A Holt estate agent is getting into the spirit of the North Norfolk Railway’s 1940s weekend, by advertising houses for sale at wartime prices.

Antony Burn, who is branch manager at Watsons, in High Street, came up with the novel idea and, after speaking to visitors to Holt and District Community Café born in the mid-1920s, valued the properties at what they would have cost in the 1940s.

“We always try to get behind the 1940s weekend and, this year, rather than just turning everything black and white as we usually do, I thought it would be a good idea to research house prices,” Mr Burn said.

Chatting to café visitors in their 90s, he uncovered some fascinating stories, with one gentleman remembering when, in 1936, his grandfather was offered a whole row of eight terraced houses for just £500 and another cafe regular telling the tale of when he was offered three cottages in the 1940s for £140.

“It is the other way round now of course, and coastal properties can fetch up to 25pc more.”

The Eastern Daily Press celebrated North Norfolk Railway's 1940s with a special front page (Picture: Archant)

Houses for sale in Watsons window this week include a four bedroomed detached house in New Street on the market for £750,000, which, in 1940, would have sold for around £350, and the White House, a £210,000 three bed terrace property in Bull Street which, back then, would have been up for sale at just £45.

Also on offer is a three bedroomed semi-detached house in Grove Lane which, now on offer for £395,000, would have been priced at £69 in 1940.

“Typically, you could pick up a cottage in Holt for £45 or £50,” Mr Burn said. “But, in the war years, property didn’t really sell and, being quite a rural place where many people had farm cottages thrown in with the job, there wasn’t a huge demand so there were quite a few derelict cottages around at that time.”

While the 1940s window has attracted a fair amount of interest, Mr Burn insisted that the wartime prices were strictly for fun only.

“People will have to pay today’s prices for the properties I’m afraid,” he said.